


26. Outnumbered

by love_write_edit_sleep



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, Puppies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 19:51:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15613788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep





	26. Outnumbered

“Hank! I need help!”

“Shut up, Connor, you’re fine!” 

“No! Hank! There are too many of them! I can’t-”

“You can, fight through it you fuckin’ weirdo.”

“Hank, I am suffering multiple system instabilities…”

“Hank, maybe we should-”

“Shut up, Matthew, he’s fine. He’s being dramatic.”

“Okay.”

“Hank!” Connor gasped as he felt himself being buried, looking up at Hank. “Hank!”

“Connor, they’re fucking puppies!” Hank scowled, looking down at the android who was being licked ruthlessly by multiple tiny fluff balls that were climbing all over him, one sniffing at his yellow LED. Hank rolled his eyes. “Stop being a baby!”

“Hank, why did you bring me here?” Connor suddenly asked, accepting his fate: Being buried alive under a pile of puppies. Hank sighed.

“I… I thought a new dog might help us both move on.”

“You… want to get another dog?”

“I think so.” Hank forced a smile. “It’ll never be Sumo, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s just gotta be there. And anyway, I wanted you to choose it, since Cole chose Sumo.”

“But-”

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine. O-or we can get something else, a cat or whatever… I don’t know…”

“Hank…” Connor stood carefully, as not to accidentally harm one of the puppies, and exit the pen to face Hank properly. “Are you certain that you want to do this?”

“No.” Hank chuckled. “But I never planned to get Sumo. This could be what we both need.”

“Perhaps… Hank, where did Matthew go?” Connor asked, suddenly panicked. Hank looked around.

“He’s over there, look.” Connor followed Hank’s gaze to find Matthew talking to a member of staff, who laughed and reached into a display case. “He’s just looking at the other animals, he’s fine.” Connor didn’t speak, watching nervously as the staff member produced a ferret from the display case and gently placed it on Matthew’s shoulder. Matthew smiled at the ferret, stroking it’s head.  “What’s up with you?” Hank asked. “He’s fine.”

“Hank… I don’t know how to be a boyfriend.” Connor whispered, turning to Hank. “I-I fear I will mess up o-or that he’ll prefer an updated model or-.”

“Stop it.” Hank flicked the android in the head. “You don’t need to change much to be a boyfriend, Connor. You just gotta care for him and remind him how important he is to you. Are you picking a puppy or not?”

“Hank, do you think we should replace Sumo like this?” Connor asked. Hank smacked his arm.

“We’re not replacing him, dumbass! We’re extending our family.”

“Like how I am not replacing Cole?”

“Yeah.” Hank muttered. “Just pick a damn dog, you baby.”

“Hank… What if I do not want to get a dog, but something else instead?”

“What?”

“I am enjoying this sight.” Connor pointed over to where Matthew was giggling, the Ferret running up and down his arms and back before nuzzling Matthew’s cheek. Hank turned to Connor, noting how his LED was pink, his eyes fixed on Matthew.

“God damn it, Connor…” Hank rolled his eyes.

“What…?” 

“You say you don’t know how to be a boyfriend, then you go being sappy like that. You’ll give me a heart attack, I ain’t used to ‘cute and fluffy’.” Hank chuckled. “You’re paying for the furry snake though. Then come back here and pick a fucking dog.”

“Thank you, Hank!” Connor beamed, pressing a kiss to Hank’s cheek, earning a cry of disgust from Hank before running off to join Matthew. Hank watched as Connor and Matthew spoke for a moment. Matthew’s LED suddenly went green as Connor stroked the Ferret’s head, then pink when he threw himself at Connor, hugging him tight. Connor hugged him back before pulling away, pressing a kiss to Matthew’s cheek before turning to the staff member, who nodded and guided them away.

Hank couldn’t help the pang in his chest. That had never happened before. What the fuck? It was almost like he… he knew Matthew was replacing him in Connor’s life, and it hurt… Connor was starting to spend more time with Matthew, and less time with Hank.

The real reason Hank had wanted a dog, he realized, was because he was alone again most evenings, when Connor went to see Matthew. 

_Thoughts get darker when you’re alone…_

Hank loved Matthew like he was his own Son, don’t get him wrong. The android was the sweetest kid; He called him ‘Mr Anderson’ for God’s sake. If Hank had to use a word to describe him, he’d use the word ‘precious’.  He forced a smile when Matthew and Connor returned.

“Mr Anderson, look!” Matthew whispered, holding up a carry case with the Ferret inside. “Connor bought her for me!”

“Is that so?” Hank smirked. “You gonna be okay looking after her? We’ll always pet-sit if you need.”

“I- Thank you, Mr Anderson.” Matthew smiled before turning to Connor. “Thank you, Connor.”

“You’ve thanked me 32 times in the last five minutes, stop.” Connor chuckled. Matthew blushed.

“You picking a dog, Connor?” Hank asked.

“Are you sure you want me to?”

“Yeah, if there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you make good choices. Well, most of the time.”

“Thank you, Hank.” Connor smiled. He turned back to the pen, where a pile of puppies were yapping up at him, trying to get his attention. One puppy, a fluffy German Shepard puppy, sat alone in the back of the pen, his eyes half-closed with a squeaky burger in his mouth lazily.  

Connor knew.

“That one.” Connor pointed to the puppy. Hank blinked.

“The lazy son-of-a-bitch?”

“He is not lazy, he is sad.” Connor told him. “And he is eating a plastic burger. He is perfect.”

“You wanna get a depressed dog with a plastic burger in it’s gob?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, fine.” Hank rolled his eyes. He turned to the nearest staff member. “Hey, I wanna get that moping dog in the corner there?”

* * *

“Connor, the dog you picked is fucking broken.” Hank growled, glaring at the puppy, who had curled up in the corner of the room and sucked on his toy burger.

“Hank!” Connor scolded, Matthew’s ferret in his arms. “He is scared and upset. You must give him time to adjust to his new environment.”

“Whatever.” Hank muttered. “Have you named the furry snake yet?”

“Suki.” Matthew smiled. “After Sumo. I hope that is okay.”

“Yeah, it’s cool, kid.”

_ Fucking perfect fucking android… _

“Hank, you need to name the puppy.”

“Alright.” Hank thought for a moment. “Skulker.”

“Hank, no!”

“Hank, yes.” Hank growled. “He’s a wimp, he’s gotta know it.”

“Hank, that is mean…” Connor whispered.

“What?” Hank chuckled. “He doesn’t care, look at him. He’s just sulking. Sulky Skulker.”

“You are naming your dog ‘coward’?” Matthew asked.

“Damn straight.” Hank muttered. “I need a burger…”

* * *

Later that night, Hank couldn’t sleep. He sat on the couch, occasionally looking up at Connor’s door.

Matthew had stayed the night in Connor’s room with the Ferret. Hank wasn’t sure if Android’s possessed the parts needed to… engage in intimacy… Or whatever. He wasn’t even sure if they’d gotten that far. He shook his head, not wanting to think about it. 

Outside, a storm raged, filling the silence of the room. Skulker was curled up in the same corner as before, his eyes wide as soft whimpers escaped his tiny frame. Hank ignored him.

“It’s just a storm, it’s not gonna get ya.”

Wow, he was not as fond of the idea to get a new dog as he’d thought… 

Eventually, he gave up sitting, and headed to Connor’s room. He knocked on the door, waiting for a reply. When he didn’t get one, he pushed the door open carefully.

Connor and Matthew were curled up on Connor’s bed, asleep, Connor with one arm protectively around Matthew’s waist, Matthew’s head tucked under Connor’s chin as his hand held Connor’s hand loosely. The Ferret, Suki, was curled up on Matthew’s hip, sleeping soundly.

Hank would be lying if he said he hadn’t taken a photo or thirty.

He backed out the room and carefully closed the door, his heart dropping despite the purity and innocence of the scene he’d just walked into.

He was losing Connor to Matthew.

He sighed, sitting down on the sofa as a crack of thunder shook the room. Skulker whimpered, trying to curl himself up even smaller. Hank gave in.

“Alright, it’s okay.” He whispered, scooping the dog up into his arms. “It’s just a storm, you little baby.” The puppy whimpered as he buried his face into the crook of Hank’s arm. Hank sighed, sitting down on the couch. “Alright, Skulker, it’s alright.” Hank muttered, stroking the dog’s fur.

* * *

Hank totally didn’t fall asleep with the puppy curled in his arms.

Connor totally didn’t take a photo the next morning.


End file.
